


A Little More Conversation

by pentameter_and_pen



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Captain Charming - Freeform, Captain Swan - Freeform, Davey Jones - Freeform, F/M, Snowing - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-05-06
Packaged: 2018-01-18 09:55:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1424233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pentameter_and_pen/pseuds/pentameter_and_pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain Swan. A series of much needed conversations following Neal’s death. [Hook & David, Emma & Snow, David & Snow, Hook & Emma, Emma & David]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Hook & David**

"How about a drink?" David asks, hand on Hook’s shoulder.

That was hours ago and it’s late at night and both men are tipsy. The bottle of rum - once completely full - is now half gone. 

David would like to claim responsibility for it, but it’s more than evident that this is work of the seasoned rum drinker that is the pirate beside him. Though, as the man agreed earlier, this is finer quality rum that he’s ever had the chance to taste. 

Studying the pirate, David notices the despondent look in his eyes is back. Neal’s death hit him hard, harder than it did Emma. 

Almost as if he’s read David’s thoughts, Hook begins to speak.

"I knew him when he was Henry’s age. I used to jokingly call him ‘Spitfire’ - because that’s all he was. Teenage anger and father issues." Hook smirks. "Not unlike me at his age." 

David had sensed that some of the tension between the two men had been non Emma-related, but rather their own. However this was not what he had expected.  

But seeing the man next to him broken up over the loss, he can relate. He has the expression of a father mourning a potential relationship. David knows, because he sees it in the mirror every day now. 

"At least you made amends." David says hand on his shoulder to offer solace as best he can. 

"The hug was meant to be a beginning. Not an end." 

At his words, David steals himself. He’d heard a similar tone a year ago when a certain blonde haired saviour had voiced her frustrations. Seeing the pirate beside him do the same David can’t help but see how disarmingly similar the two are. 

So he just tells Hook what he told Emma then. 

"Life is made up of good moments and bad moments. Sometimes you get more of the bad. But that just means you have to look for the good ones and treasure them." He smiles at his unintended pun. "That sounded like a good moment." 

Hook’s face turns contemplative at his words. 

"How do YOU look for the good?" He asks, turning to face David.

The prince is caught off guard. He wasn’t expecting the focus to be on him. But he thinks about Hook’s question before asking.

"I try and see the bright side of everything. Even if that’s a little hard at the time." 

"But what’s the bright side of all that’s happened? A witch is out to get you, you lost Emma for the second time and you don’t remember a year of your life." 

David takes a shot. It has been a rough year - or rather two years - for him since the day the first curse was cast. But the he thinks of Snow, and Emma and everything that has happened and smiles at Hook.

"If the witch wasn’t after us, we’d never have come back. We’d never have seen Emma again. You’d never have found her and brought her back." He stares at the glass in his hand before quietly admitting, "I’m glad I don’t remember the year because I don’t want to remember being away from her. I only just got her back." 

He smiles sadly and places the shot glass down. It feels like a weight has been lifted off his chest. He hasn’t told Snow that, even though he knows she probably feels the same. It’s just that with the new baby, he hasn’t had the chance to really process the fact that he let his first born go yet again - just as he was getting to know her. He’d always heard that father’s have a soft spot for their daughters. He just didn’t realise how soft a spot his was for Emma. 

"Aye," Hook agrees pouring them both another shot. "If I could, I’d choose to be in similar shoes." 

David hears nothing but a man in love. He smiles. His daughter’s effect on the men who love her is considerable. Given who her mother is he’s not surprised. He fell that hard once. And every day he finds himself falling harder - if that’s possible. 

It’s clear the man next to him is in the same boat and no doubt he’s aware of that. Once, David would have rejected the idea of his princess with this pirate. But now he’s reminded of how he, a lowly shepherd, had fallen for a thief only to discover she was a princess. Studying Hook, he thinks that Emma could uncover the noble man underneath. After all, he’s been nothing but one, over the past few weeks.

"To Fatherhood." Hook announces before downing the shot. David follows suit but the alcohol burns his throat. He isn’t sure if that’s what it is or if it’s his second secret. 

He decides to bite the bullet and tell Hook anyway. He needs a friend right now. 

"I’m scared." He admits, the fear that he’s been living with since seeing Snow’s swollen belly dissipates as he says the words aloud. "I wasn’t there for my first child, how can I be there for the second?" 

Hook looks at him concerned. “What happened to the good moments mate?” 

David smiles at his words being thrown back at him. “That’s just it. I don’t have any with the second one. I don’t even remember making it.”

Hook chuckles at that and David can’t help but smile. But his tone remains serious. “With Emma, I felt her first kick. I was there when Snow would throw up. I watched her grow for 9 months. And then I was there the day she came out. For those first five minutes, I was her father.” 

"Well you’re going to have the rest of your life with this one. Then the first nine months won’t matter. Trust me." 

"It doesn’t feel that way now."

"From what I’ve heard, uncertainty is the hallmark of fatherhood. I say you’re doing quite well."

"Thanks." David says with a wry smile. "Have you spoken to Emma? About Neal."

"No." Hook shakes head with a sad smile. "I thought she could use the space right now." 

David nods, considering his point. Though he doesn’t really agree with it. 

"Besides," Hook continues, brow furrowed. "I wouldn’t want to burden her with my mourning. She has Henry to think about." 

He pours himself another shot and downs it effortlessly. 

"You know," David begins. "You should tell her. She listens to you. Even when she’s upset."

He doesn’t like the wave of jealousy that flares up in him as he tells Hook this. But it’s true, he’s noticed this in Neverland. While Emma had been ready to bite his or Snow’s head off when she was upset, she’d always listened to what the pirate had to say. David would give anything for that relationship with his daughter. 

"Perhaps," Hook concedes contemplatively. "What about you? Have you spoken to her?"

"About what?" David asks, unsure as to what Hook is referring to.

"Her new brother or sister." Hook answers. "Pardon me mate, but back in the cave your wife all but said she wasn’t enough, not long after Emma herself admitted to feeling like an orphan. Now she returns after a year to find you ready to have a second child? I think that warrants a conversation." 

David feels defensive of Snow’s words, but as much as he hates it, he sees Hook’s point. He’d wanted to talk to her after she’d returned, but like many things this too had fallen by the wayside. There was so much he wanted to tell her, and ask her about, but they couldn’t seem to find the time. Either she was off trying to solve the matter of this curse so she could keep Henry safe, or Snow needed his help with the baby. 

He frowns.

"I’m not blaming you mate," Hook says after a minute, his tone apologetic. 

"No. You’re right," David tells him, putting his glass down. "She needs to hear it." 

He gives Hook a sad smile. “You know, I love the new baby, but I’d have been happy with just Emma - the moment I held her I knew that I couldn’t love anyone more than her… or Snow.” 

Hook nods knowingly. Parenthood changes a man. For the short while he’d had Bae, he’d been willing to give up on his quest for revenge. Each day with the boy had reminded him of the life Milah would have wanted for them. 

"If that is how you feel, perhaps you need to talk to your wife as well." Hook offers.

David nods. He’d been thinking that too.

"You know, I was supposed to make _you_  feel better.” He says with a wry smile. 

"Friendship is a two way street." Hook says with a genuine smile and suddenly David can see the man he’d been before he’d been a pirate. Suddenly he understands what Emma sees in him. "It works both ways." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The fic first started because I wanted to see a Captain Charming scene after David patted Hook on the back after he returned to Granny’s. Now it’s turned into something where I want to see characters actually taking the time to discuss their feelings.
> 
> If you have any thoughts, comments, questions or concerns, let me know! If not, check out my other stuff on tumblr, ff.net or AO3! Thanks for reading!


	2. Emma & Snow

**Emma & Snow** 

"David! We need to go!"

Emma's voice rings through the loft as she calls out for her father.  
  
"David?" She tries again after seeing some movement in the bathroom.  
  
The door opens to reveal Mary Margaret.  
  
"Emma!" She says, greeting her daughter with a smile.  
  
"Mary Margaret," Emma replies, her eyes take in the sight of the pregnant woman but that's all they do. "Have you seen David? He was supposed to meet me at the Sheriff's station. And he's not answering his phone."

"Oh. He left his phone at the bar last night, so he went to look for it."  
  
More pregnant than ever, Mary Margaret waddles over to the sink where she fills a kettle. "Tea?"  
  
"No, thanks." Emma replies surprised by her mother's answer. "He was at a bar? Last night? I didn’t even know David drank."  
  
"He took Hook out for a drink. He thought he needed a friend after Neal's death." Mary Margaret says as she sets the kettle on the stove.  
  
"Oh. Ok." Emma says, processing the information. The idea of Hook and her father hanging out together seems strange, but it makes sense after what happened in Neverland. Besides, she thinks they’ve developed a soft spot for one another, as evidenced in their patrols in the woods. "When he gets back, can you tell him to meet me at the station?"  
  
Emma smiles and turns to leave.  
  
"Emma wait!" Mary Margaret calls out.  
  
"Is everything alright?" Emma asks, concerned. "Is it the baby?"  
  
"No... I just... We haven't really had a chance to talk since you got back. And I thought, maybe you could stay and wait for David here."  
  
Emma doesn't have the heart to say no to the hopeful expression on her mother's face. "Umm. Sure."  
  
She pulls up a chair at the table, as she does she remembers all the breakfasts she's shared with Mary Margaret when she'd been cursed, before she'd discovered the truth. There had been an easy camaraderie then they never seemed to have gotten back.  
  
"So, tell me about New York?" Mary Margaret asks, eager to hear about her daughter's life during the curse. "Were you happy?"  
  
"Yeah..." Emma responds, smiling as her memories of the time flash through her mind. "Henry was happy – he was doing well in school and he had a lot of friends. It was good."  
  
"What about you?" Mary Margaret asks, zeroing in on what she really wants to hear about.”  
  
"I was good too..." Emma replies, leaving it at that.  
  
A look of hurt flashes through Mary Margaret's eyes at her short response. But she smiles nonetheless. "Your father mentioned you  
almost got married."  
  
"Oh. Yeah." Emma says, nodding, a sardonic smile gracing her face. "But he turned out to be a flying monster so obviously that didn't  
work out."  
  
She snorts in amusement at the absurdity of it all. It’s funny but given how her life had turned out, that would be something that would happen to her.  
  
"Oh Emma, I'm so sorry." Mary Margaret says, reaching out to squeeze her hand.  
  
Emma shakes her head at the sentiment. "Given my luck with men, I'm not really that surprised."  
  
"Just because you lost Neal, doesn't mean you need to give up on love." Mary Margaret says knowingly.  
  
"I know. I haven’t." Emma replies, falling silent. She pulls her hand away and puts it in her lap.  
  
Mary Margaret just nods, tears springing to her eyes. Lately she's been more prone to crying, but right now she can't figure out which child  
is making her cry – the one in her womb or the one sitting in front of her.  
  
"Emma, are you mad at me?" She asks.  
  
Emma looks surprised that she would even ask. "No... I just... I don't really want to talk about it. He’s gone."  
  
They lapse into another awkward silence that is broken up only by Mary Margaret’s sniffles.  
  
Feeling bad, Emma tries to explain. "He wasn't my true love."  
  
Seeing that she has Mary Margaret's instant attention, she continues hesitantly.  
  
"Neal wasn't my true love. I mean, there's a part of me that will always love him, but that's because he was my first love and he gave me  
Henry. But for years, that's all he was - Henry's father, the man that left me in prison. Not my true love."  
  
Now that she's finally admitted it, Emma finds that she can't keep quiet. But she looks away as she says the next part. "He didn't find  
me. He had all those chances and he never came looking for me. That's not True Love."  
  
When she looks up, Emma has tears in her eyes. Tears she never got to shed for the life she never got to have.  
  
Mary Margaret doesn’t know what to process first. The fact that the father of her grandson abandoned her young, pregnant daughter in prison, or her daughter’s words and the guilt they inspire in her – not unlike the time Emma had asked her why they'd chosen to give  
her up for the curse instead of allowing it to take her as well, keeping them all together. Looking at her now, she sees nothing but a little  
girl who has had a very tough life and was denied two chances at a happy ending.  
  
Embarrassed by her tears, Emma quickly wipes them off her face. "But that doesn't matter. Once we figure out what Zelena wants and how to stop her, Henry and I will return to New York and I'll have my happy ending again."  
  
Her words shock Mary Margaret and it's apparent on her face. "You're returning to New York? But you only just got home!"  
  
"It's just..." Emma starts, searching for the least hurtful way of saying what she wants to. "There's nothing really keeping me here.  
Henry and I have lives back in New York. Lives we put on hold to come here."  
  
"What about when he gets his memory back?" Mary Margaret tries not to show how much pain Emma's comment has caused her - that's the last thing her daughter needs right now.  
  
"I'm not sure I want him to get his memory back." Emma reasons.

 

And it's true. She doesn't want to take away all these years of happiness away from her son and remind him just how sad his life was once. How he'd had to leave Storybrooke and seek out his birth mother because he'd believed his birth mother was the Evil Queen from a fairy tale. She didn't want to remind him that there was a period of his life where he had almost no hope, until his favourite teacher gave him a book filled with stories that sparked the ability to trust and believe that is now buried deep into his bones. Most of all she doesn't want to reveal that all the happy moments they'd shared together hadn't existed, because now she herself regrets that they never had the chance to share them for real.  
  
But she doesn't know how to tell Mary Margaret all this, so she simply says, "He's happy there, and he has friends. This town has nothing but bad memories for him."  
  
Mary Margaret's eyes are now filled with tears. She quietly asks "And you?"  
  
Emma sighs as she tries to figure out how she feels.  
  
"There's been some good ones," she says, smiling at Mary Margaret. "Some really, _really_ good ones. But there have also been some really bad ones. And coming back here is just a reminder that as long as I'm here, as long as I'm the Saviour, things are never going to be just good."  
  
She pauses to take a break before continuing.  
  
"David once told me that I need to learn to make the most of the good moments." Mary Margaret's eyes brighten up at the mention of her husband. "And New York was a good moment. A long, really good moment. And that's what I need right now."  
  
It feels good to have admitted that.  
  
Mary Margaret nods. She knows that more than anything her daughter deserves a break. At the realisation she feels an odd sensation – something she hasn't felt in years. Not since she’d been carrying Emma. She looks at her belly in surprise.  
  
Emma's expression immediately turns to worry. "What happened? Is everything okay?"  
  
"Oh, it's just the baby," Mary Margaret replies wiping the tears from her eyes – this time her second child is responsible for them. She  
smiles as she looks up at Emma. "Your little brother or sister kicked. Do you want to feel it?"  
  
Emma stares back as she looks at her expectantly. She hasn't even really thought about her parents having a second child. Somehow her  
brain had filed it away as her friend Mary Margaret having a child. Not her mother, Snow White having a second baby.  
  
"Umm. Sure..." She says reaching out to touch her mother's stomach. But when she does there's nothing.  
  
"Give it a moment..." Mary Margaret says excitedly. However there is nothing.  
  
"Maybe it doesn't like me," Emma jokes, removing her hand and sitting back.  
  
A different kind of awkward silence settles over the room. Mary Margaret's expression becomes somber. "I'm sure it does..."  
  
She eyes Emma's face, pain in her eyes. "Emma, did I... Are you upset about the baby?"  
  
"Upset?" Emma asks, confused.  
  
"It's just, I haven't really seen you in the past couple of days and," she smiles sadly at her daughter. "It feels like you're avoiding me. Even now you just wanted to leave."  
  
"I..." If she thought telling her mother she was going back to New York was hard, putting this into words is infinitely harder. "I'm not upset. I just... I don't know. I never had this. I never really had you guys when I was growing up, so I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be missing out on, you know?"  
  
Mary Margaret nods, accepting what Emma's telling her. Seeing that she isn't crying Emma continues.  
  
"Besides I have Henry to worry about. And...” She stops to think about it. “You know how you feel like you have to make up for all these things you missed out on in my life? Well, I get it. If I give Henry back his memories he loses that. He loses eleven years of me being there for him… How can I do that to him, when I wouldn't want anyone to do that to me?"

That, Emma realises after she says it out loud, is part of why she’s hesitant to remind of him of his previous life. More than anything, he's always wanted a life with her. Now that he has that, she can't rip it away. Looking up at Mary Margaret, she's reminded of how she'd gotten her to open up almost within a few days of knowing her. Suddenly it's like her best friend is back.  
  
"I wish I could give you that," Mary Margaret says sadly. "More than anything I wish you had happy memories of your father and I. Not just 'maybes' and 'could-have-beens'."  
  
"Maybe it's not about the memories we could have had, but the memories we _can_ have," Emma says with a gentle smile, Henry’s words about moving on still ringing in her ears. As usal her son is right. "You know, before I left, you said you'd always be my mother. Well mothering isn't just 'being a mother', it's being a friend. And what I need now isn't my mother, it's my friend. My best friend."  
  
Mary Margaret gives her a curious look.  So Emma continues. "Before I broke the first curse, you and I were friends. Remember? I miss that."  
  
Surprisingly Mary Margaret laughs. This time it's Emma's turn to look confused.  
  
"I never thought my daughter would be giving _me_ mothering advice," Mary Margaret explains with a smile.  
  
"Trust me, I never thought I'd be doing this either." Emma says, with a matching smile.  
  
"You know... That sounded like something your father would say."  
  
She's surprised to see Emma blush slightly. She grins at that. She'd always known her daughter would grow up to be a daddy's girl, and she's pleased to see that this is still the case even now as an adult. As she thinks of her husband, she’s hit with a realization.

  
"My mother died when I was young, and then my father married Regina – and we all know how that went..." Mary Margaret explains. "So I never really learned how to be a parent to an adult."  
  
Emma's brow furrows at the admission. "It’s funny. That's in the story. I just... never thought about it like that."  
  
Looking up she sees her mother in a new light. She sees the twelve year old girl that had stood over her mother's bed crying as she said her final goodbye. She sees the young girl that had to flee into the forest because her stepmother was after her heart. And now she sees a young woman with child, plagued with uncertainty and doubt as to her skills as a mother. And suddenly, she understands her. After all, almost twelve years ago she’d worn the same shoes.  
  
Emma reaches out and squeezes Mary Margaret's hand. Her mother looks confused at the unexpected show of affection. Emma just smiles.  
  
"When I was pregnant with Henry, he never kicked for other people either." She offers, gesturing at her mother's belly.  
  
"Really?" Mary Margaret asks. With everything that's happened since that curse broke she'd never had a chance to discuss Emma's past life with her. There's still so much she doesn't know about her daughter. But looking at her face now she realises, that will come in time, and that this is just the first step towards that. And what’s more? Emma is the one that initiated it.  
  
Just then, the baby kicks again. Seeing her mother's expression, Emma immediately reaches out and lays a hand on her stomach. This time she feels a strong kick. Almost like she's being acknowledged.  
  
"I felt it!" She announces, delighted at being able to share this moment with her mother. Mary Margaret puts her hand on Emma's as the baby kicks once more. "You know, you're going to enjoy this now, but give it a few days and you're going to have to pee every other minute."  
  
"Don't remind me..." Mary Margaret groans. "I went through that with you."  
  
"So I've always been a kicker," Emma jokes. “Good to know.”  
  
Mary Margaret laughs again. "You should be, you get that from David as well."  
  
"Seems like I get a lot from David. Maybe I should only say I'm Prince Charming's daughter then." Emma quips.  
  
Mary Margaret smacks her arm. "This attitude? You get it from me."  
  
Emma grins and takes her hand back, leaning comfortably into her chair.  
  
A much more comfortable silence settles over the room this time.  
  
A moment later Emma stands up reluctantly, giving her mother a warm smile. "I should really go find David – and Hook. We need to get moving. "

At the mention of the pirate, Mary Margaret is hit with a thought. "You said he never found you."  
  
"What?" Emma asks, confused.  
  
"Neal. You said he never found you. He had all those chances but he never found and that's how you know it's not True Love." Mary Margaret explains.  
  
"Yeah... So?" Emma’s still not following along.  
  
"What about Hook?" Mary Margaret asks. She then takes a deep breath.  “Maybe he’s your True Love.”  
  
"Hook?"  
  
"He found you," Mary Margaret points out. "He brought you back here, to Storybrooke."  
  
"I thought you didn't like Hook." Emma argues, surprised by her mother’s change of heart.  
  
"I may not be fond of the fact that he's a pirate," Mary Margaret explains. "But he clearly has feelings for you – deep feelings. I can’t just ignore that.”

“Thanks?” Emma says, with a confused smile.  
  
"Besides, he saved your father's life and I think you may have feelings for him too. So there must be a good man in there."  
  
"I don't have feelings for Hook!" Emma protests, getting flustered, her cheeks turning a bright pink.  
  
"You told me about his kiss. You said it made you feel good." Mary Margaret points out with a grin.  
  
"You don't remember a whole year, but THAT you remember?" Emma asks incredulously.  
  
"Emma, you can’t run away from your feelings.” Mary Margaret brushes off her daughter’s sarcasm. “You owe it to yourself to see if your happy ending truly lies with him.”

"I really need to go find David," Emma says turning towards the door in avoidance of the subject at hand.

Mary Margaret grins. Her daughter’s reluctance to speak about the pirate only confirms that she may well feel something for him as well. But given that this is Emma, she decides not to push her any more. She’d acknowledge her feelings for him on her own time. If anything, _he’d_ be the one to make her evaluate them.

So she just gives Emma a big grin. “So will you and Henry be coming over for dinner later?”   
  
"Yes." Emma says as she begins walking towards the door.  
  
“Maybe you could invite Hook.”

Emma turns and glares at Mary Margaret, but her mother looks the picture of innocence – except for the twinkle of mischief in her eye. Emma glares at her, shakes her head and turns back towards the door.

If Mary Margaret’s teasing is any indication, maybe it was a bad idea to wish for her best friend back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Overall, I’m happy with how this chapter turned out. It’s a conversation I was very excited to write mostly because we haven’t really gotten the chance to see Snow’s reactions to any of the big events in Emma’s life (something I hope changes very soon) and it was fun to get into her shoes and try and think how she does – especially since I miss both sassy Snow and best friend Mary Margaret. I think I was mostly successful on being able to blend all of them into the Snow we have now. I debated having her suddenly root for Hook like that, but I think she’d always root for Emma, and that if she saw that her daughter had feelings for this man she would definitely support Emma taking a chance on love. So yeah.
> 
>  
> 
> If you have any thoughts, comments, questions or concerns, let me know! Again, my other stuff is up on tumblr, ff.net and AO3, so if you enjoyed this feel free to go read those! Thanks for reading!


	3. David & Snow

**David & Snow**

"Dinner was fun," Mary Margaret says cheerfully once Emma, Henry and Hook have left the loft. "It's good you invited Hook." 

"Well I had to. I doubt he's eaten a decent meal in a while," David explains, a worried expression on his face as he clears dishes and puts them in the sink. "Granny says all he orders any more is coffee. He comes in, drinks a cup, stares out the window and leaves. He's not acting like himself." 

"What was he like when you went out last night?" Mary Margaret asks, concerned as well. Over the past few weeks David has been spending more and more time in Hook’s company. It may have started out as patrolling, but now it’s apparent that they’ve developed a close friendship. Not unlike Emma’s relationship with the pirate. She’s noticed how her daughter listens when he speaks, considering his advice each time he offers it.  

She follows him to the sink where she starts rinsing off the plates and silverware he deposits. He steps aside and lets her, more than used to how she likes to do things.

“He’s was like himself… only quieter. Neal's death really hit him hard." David says as he walks back to the dining table for the remaining dishes. "He thought he was going to get a chance to make up for everything that happened in Neverland.”

At the mention of the island, David is reminded of Hook’s advice that he speaks with his wife. He shakes his head at the thought. He never thought he’d be accepting marriage advice from a pirate. He opens his mouth, but pauses. With everything that’s happened, neither of them has had a real chance to catch up. He now understands Emma’s complaint about her life being one long series of never-ending problems. He’s starting to feel the same way. So he takes a page out of his own book and looks for a good moment.

He finds it the second he looks over at his wife as she gently scrubs a dish, a content smile on her face. At the sight he is taken back to almost thirty years ago, when he’d come down to the kitchen to find her cleaning up evidence of her daily midnight snack. She’d been pregnant with Emma then. He smiles. She never let anyone in the castle do the dishes when she as around either.

“Maybe we should ask Emma to talk to him,” Mary Margaret suggests, her face thoughtful.

David is pulled out of his memory at the mention of their daughter. “Emma?”

“Yes, Emma.” Mary Margaret replies, picking up another dish. “No offence David, but I think he’ll probably open up to her.”

David looks hurt, but his eyes twinkle. “No offence?”

She chuckles at his reaction. “He really cares about her, which means she has a better chance of finding out what’s wrong.”

Suddenly her expression becomes mischievous. “But don’t worry. You’re still his best friend.”

“Hook’s not my best friend…” David protests half-heartedly. At his wife’s incredulous look he concedes. “He’s my ‘ _mate_ ’.

His wife is less convinced, shaking her head as she smiles at his attempt at Hook’s accent. Gazing at him she can’t help but bask in this brief moment of married bliss. Its days like this that make everything worth it.

“Hold on,” David says, his tone teasing. “When did you become such a big fan of Hook’s?”

Mary Margaret matches his expression, a teasing glint in her eyes. “When he became your ‘ _mate_ ’.”

It vanishes a second later, her expression becoming more serious and her tone matter of fact. “And when he found Emma and brought her home to us.” 

Mary Margaret frowns, thinking of the second period of their daughter’s life that they missed out on. The tone of the room grows more somber. Mary Margaret finishes rinsing the dish in her hand and places it on the drying rack.

“You know, Emma and I talked today,” she says, trying to bring their conversation back to a happy note.

“You did?” David looks at her expectantly, eager to hear about the conversation. Lately he hasn’t been able to get enough time with their daughter.

Drying her hands Mary Margaret walks over and takes a seat at the dining table. She turns and smiles at him. “It was good. I haven’t spoken to her that way in a really long time. It was like we were friends again.”

“You were always friends,” David points out.

“No… Not like this,” Mary Margaret says, shaking her head. “It’s different. When we got our memories back I tried to be her mother. But that’s not what she needed. Not then.”

“You did the best you could,” David argues. “We both did.”

“I know,” Mary Margaret says contemplatively. “But I should have done what you did – just been her friend.”

She smiles up at him, her eyes filled with love and pride. “David, you’re a great father.”  

He feels a twinge of guilt as he looks at her face.

“I don’t always feel like one,” he admits.

Mary Margaret is concerned. “Why not? 

“I’m not sure if I can be there for our second child,” he elaborates. “Sure I’m good with Emma now, but what about when she was a baby? I wasn’t there for any of that. What if I mess up? What if it hates me?”

Mary Margaret smiles at his last concern. She reaches out and grabs his hand, giving him an understanding look. “Well then it’s a good thing you’re not alone isn’t it?”

He rubs his thumb along her hand before smiling up at her, hope renewed in his eyes. “No, I’m not.” 

Mary Margaret suddenly gasps. Her hand flies out of his and goes to her stomach. David is filled with concern.

“Mary Margaret! What’s wrong?”   

His wife just laughs with delight, beaming up at him. “It kicked! The baby kicked!”

David’s concern melts away. He reaches out and places his hand over her pregnant belly. However the baby doesn’t kick. He looks up at Mary Margaret, concerned by this.

“Just give it a moment. It’ll kick,” she tells him. At his unsure expression, she says, “It did the same thing with Emma. It didn’t kick for her either.”

Seeing his expression she adds, “At _first_. Apparently Henry was the same way.” 

He perks up at the mention of his grandson. “Really?” 

He’s surprised. He didn’t realize just how little he really knows of his daughter’ life before she came to Storybrooke. “She’s never mentioned that. 

“She almost got married and she never mentioned that,” Mary Margaret points out.

David frowns at the thought of Emma’s husband. He doesn’t know if there will ever be a scenario where he approves of the man she will marry. Instead, he brings up the one man in her life he is quite fond of. “Did she tell you anything else about when she was pregnant with Henry?”

“No. But I think it’s because of Neal,” Mary Margaret says, recalling Emma’s admission earlier that morning. “He was her first love and he really hurt her. You don’t get over that so easily. Though I think she’s beginning to.”   

They both fall silent. Mary Margaret lost in thoughts of how a pirate is helping their adult daughter slowly regain everything she’s lost, David thinking of the frightened, pregnant teenager she must have been.

A few moments later he breaks the silence. “Did you talk about the baby?”    

At Mary Margaret’s questioning look he goes on. “Did she tell you how she feels about it? Is she upset because she thinks we moved on?”

She shakes her head in response. “No… She said she can’t be upset because she doesn’t know what it feels like to have us as parents. 

David’s brow furrows at her words. “So she doesn’t feel replaced?”

“No,” Mary Margaret answers, shaking her head again. However she tilts her head to the side as she asks him a question, her tone gentle. “Is that how you feel? Like we replaced her?”

“I don’t know…” David says in reply, shaking his head. “It’s just… when we were in Neverland, she admitted to feeling like an orphan. Then in the cave you said she wasn’t enough and talked about wanting to have a second baby.” 

Seeing Mary Margaret about to interrupt, David quickly continues. “And now she comes back and we’re having another child. I think it might have hurt her feelings.” 

When he looks back at his wife he sees that she has tears in her eyes.

“Mary Margaret I’m not blaming you, or saying I don’t want this other baby, because I do,” He says, in a firm reassuring voice. “I’m just upset we never got to spend any time with her. She never got to feel like she’s enough enough for us – because she is. She’s our daughter.” 

He feels a wave of relief sweep through him as he lets go of the secret he’s been carrying since they got back. Since he saw Emma’s face when she realized Mary Margaret was nine months pregnant. Looking over at his wife he sees that she’s been crying. He frowns, upset that he made his pregnant wife cry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-“ 

She cuts him off. “No you’re right. I was so eager to feel like a mother, I… I wasn’t there for our daughter when she really needed me.” 

She begins to cry, tears streaming down her face. Seeing how sad she is, David gets down on his knees in front of her, taking both her hands in his. Mary Margaret looks up at him, confused.  

“Look. It doesn’t matter if we weren’t there for her then. What matters is being there for her now.” David tells her reassuringly.

Despite her tears Mary Margaret smiles, surprising her husband when she laughs out loud. “Emma said the same thing earlier.  

She takes her hand out of his and runs it through his hair before bringing it back to cup his cheek. “She’s so much like you sometimes.”

David shakes his head, relieved. “Good. Because I was beginning to get worried…”

Then, in perfect deadpan, “She looks nothing like me.”  

Mary Margaret smacks his arm, shaking her head at his comment. Then she stops, looking thoughtful. “You know, she does have Whale’s eyes… 

David mock-glares at her before bursting into a grin, his eyes filled with love. He leans forward and gives her a quick kiss. “I’m glad we’re giving her a baby brother or sister. Even if we are thirty years too late.”

It’s her turn to grin at him. He continues, “You’re an amazing mother. This baby’s going to love you.”

This time she kisses him in response. He smiles back when she pulls away. Each kiss always feels like their first, his heart always skipping a beat when she opens her eyes afterward. All he wants is the same for his daughter.

Mary Margaret gasps, and this time David puts his hands on her stomach instantly. He is rewarded with a strong kick.

“Looks like someone agrees with me,” he jokes, smiling up at her.

Snow smiles at him, but her eyes have a sad look in them.

“What’s the matter?” he asks. 

“It won’t feel like family without her,” Mary Margaret confesses. “I’m always going to worry about her – even if she’s off in New York.”

“I know…” He says, and he really feels that way too. When Emma had told him about her plan to return back there after dealing with this curse it had taken everything within his power to not argue otherwise. Instead he’d calmly accepted her decision. How could he have told her that the reason he didn’t want her returning to a life that made her happy is because he’d been considering signing them up for dance lessons in case she should ever have to attend a ball.

It hurts even more when he thinks about the fact that he’ll also be losing his grandson, whom he hasn’t gotten to spend much time with. Every time he sees Henry, David’s mind instantly flashes to the wooden swords that are lying in their closet, waiting to be used. So instead he settles for patting him on the shoulder or shaking his hand.

“I know…” he repeats, smiling sadly. “But that just means we have to make the most of the good moments, when we have her here now.  

Mary Margaret nods, thinking of her daughter and grandson. Long before she’d known she was his grandmother Henry had been her favourite student, his imagination breathing life into everything he worked on – it was no surprise he had the heart of the truest believer. She’d been extremely concerned when he’d begun feeling hopeless, and then thrilled to see it renewed when he returned to town with Emma. She smiles sadly at the thought of him returning back to New York. Since getting her memory back she’s barely gotten the chance to really get to know him. Given the past year and his new set of memories, she now knows less about him than she does about Emma. And once this curse is broken, she’ll be saying goodbye to him again.

“I’m not ready to lose her again,” she says looking into her husband’s eyes. “But at least this time it’s her choice.”

David leans forward and kisses her. Yes. It would hurt to say goodbye to their daughter again. But at least this time they’d know where to find her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the late update. Work was crazy last week (and a little crazy this week too). In any case, this was a tough chapter for me to write. I’ve never actually written anything strictly ‘Snowing’ before and I was trying to capture them more of how they were in the flashbacks in season one, where they were more prone to teasing one another, etc. I miss that aspect of their relationship, after all that is part of what drew them to one another. But it is sweet to see them now, taking walks on the beach or building a crib. I just wish they retained that part of themselves too. I had them focus on Emma for most of the conversation because I don’t think they’ll be able to be the best parents to their second child until they’ve processed what happened with their first. I think we saw a bit of Charming going through that in ‘The Tower’ and hopefully the show will actually have them talk about it. 
> 
> I also wanted to thank everyone who sent me messages after the first two chapters. I’m SO glad you guys liked them – especially the Emma & Snow one. That was insanely fun/nerve-wracking to write and I’m glad it went over well. Hopefully this will be just as good. 
> 
> As always though, if you have any thoughts, comments, questions or concerns, please share them with me! I’m looking to get better. If you liked this and want to read my other stuff, it’s on tumblr, ff.net and AO3. Thanks for reading!


	4. Hook & Emma

**Hook & Emma**

"How’s the babe?" He asks as he walks up to her at the viewing gallery in the hospital. She’s been standing and gazing at her baby brother for almost an hour now.

"He’s good," she tells him without looking back at him. "He’s safe now."

"Good." He tells her as he joins her up the glass. "Have they settled on a name yet?"

"No," Emma smirks. "They’re announcing it at the coronation at the diner later."

"Aah yes," Hook nods. "The young prince."

He pauses before he says, “That would make you a princess.”

Emma snorts at that. “Saviour, yes. Princess? No.”

They watch the baby sleep in silence for a few minutes.

"Does it hurt?" Hook asks quietly. "To see your parents with a second child so soon?"

Emma’s smile fades a little, but she shakes her head. “It’s hardly ‘soon’. It’s been twenty-nine years. They deserve a chance at happiness.”

"What about you?" He asks her. "What about your happiness? I saw your face in the cave Emma. When your mother declared her secret. You looked like a lost little girl."

Emma shakes her head. “That hurt…”

She pauses to consider her feelings for a moment. “But that was a year ago, and they’ve had enough time stolen from their lives. I’m happy for them.”

When she adds, almost to herself. “And you can’t miss what you never had.”

She turns her head to look at him at that, knowing he’d know what she’s talking about.

"Aye…" Hook says, nodding at her. He turns his attention back to the babies.

"That’s why I couldn’t tell you about the witch’s curse," he says quietly after a long pause.

Emma gives him a curious look.

"I knew your boy’s father when he was just a lad. I thought we’d be a family – like Milah had always wanted," Hook gives her a sad smile. "Sadly faith had other plans and I had to part with him too."

Emma looks at him sympathetically. She hadn’t even stopped to consider Neal’s death on the pirate. Even though they had mourned her former love on the ship almost a year ago.

"I’m sorry," she tells him.

"It’s okay, we mended our relationship before his passing," he tells her. He says sadly. "But talking to him again and spending time with Henry reminded me of what I once had."

He turns to Emma for his next words, “And when she threatened your lad I couldn’t let that happen again.”

He turns back to the babies but Emma studies him a little longer.

Finally she turns back to the glass as well.

"That’s why we need to go back to New York," she says, again as if to convince herself. "So I don’t lose him again."

There is a pregnant pause before Hook asks, “So when are we leaving?”

"What?" Emma says, not sure she heard him correctly. She turns to look at him.

"When are we leaving for New York?" He asks her like it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

"What do you mean ‘we’? You’re not coming." She sounds confused, but there is a tone of finality in her voice.  

"Swan if you’re choosing to return to a life that is a lie so be it," Hook tells her looking her in the eye. "But you and Henry were never truly safe there. I’m coming to ensure that you are."

"We don’t need your protection," Emma tells him.

"Aah yes, because your first response is always to marry one of the monsters that comes into your life," Hook points out.

"I didn’t marry  _you_ ,” Emma mocks, her tone defensive.

Hook lets that one slide. “But you did kiss me-“

"Yeah almost a year ago!" Emma points out.

"But it meant something to you," Hook tells her. "You told your mother about it."

"It was a one time thing," she tells him. Her tone is defensive yet again.

He stares at her for a moment before saying, “You once said we had an understanding. ‘Look out for yourself and you’ll never get hurt’?”

Emma is thrown when he repeats her words back to her. She remains silent, watching him.

“I know you’ve been hurt before Emma, but you’re stronger than this.” He tells her gently.

“This isn’t about me, this is about Henry,” Emma tells him, finding her voice again.

“Don’t lie to yourself Swan,” Hook says as he looks her in the eye. “You’ve been searching for your family your whole life. Don’t run away from them now.”

“I’m not running away,” she answers. “I’m giving Henry his best chance. As long as we’re here the curses and the monsters will never stop.”

She pauses. “I’m tired of being the saviour. It never ends.”

“Your father has a saying, ‘look for the good moments’?” Hook tells her, turning away to face the babies. “I’d say your little brother is quite the good moment.”

They watch the babies in silence for a minute before Emma quietly admits, “I’m tired of losing people.”

Hook gives her a sympathetic look. “That’s what I’m here for.”

“You almost drowned,” Emma points out.

“And then you saved me,” Hook argues. “I’ve said it before. We make quite the team.”

“Well that was a one time thing,” Emma says looking back at the babies. “I don’t have my magic any more. If something happens I can’t save you again.”

This makes Hook turn towards her. Sensing his movements, Emma mirrors them and turns towards him. 

“When the first curse ended I promised I would never stop thinking of you,” Hook tells her. “Now I urge you to start thinking of yourself. How much longer are you going to deny yourself love?”

Emma swallows, her eyes flitting down to his lips before going back up to his eyes. “Why are you trying to so hard to keep me in Storybrooke?”

“Because all lost children want the same thing,” he tells her as he takes a step closer. “To find their way home.”

“My home is in New York,” Emma tells him, turning to leave.

Before she can Hook grabs hold of her arm. “No it’s not.”

“Yeah, and what makes you so sure?” She asks, a challenging tone in her voice.

“Because you’re not one to inspire idle hope,  _Love_ ,” He tells her, his voice just above a whisper. “And the day I made that promise, I know you saw where your happy ending lies… And the thought of losing that scares you.”

Emma doesn’t say anything, she just watches him instead. Hook returns the favour.

“You can’t lose what you’ve never had,” she says after a long beat. She looks down to pull her arm from his grasp, but for a second neither of them is sure he’s going to let go.

She’s still looking at him as she begins to back away. Then she turns to leave, keeping her head down to keep from turning back to look at him. 

“I said I’d be in this for the long haul, Swan. I meant it,” he says loudly so she can hear. “So when you tire of running, you know where to find me.”

Emma quickens her pace after that, trying to shake his words out of her mind. Because despite what she tries to tell herself, she knows everything he says is true. Maybe she is running away

Sometimes her gift is both a blessing and a curse. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry the update was so late! Work came up and I was swamped. But also I felt like the show was bound to have the conversation eventually and I wanted to see what they would do before I did anything – especially since these fics are an exercise in wish fulfilment for conversations I’d wish the show would have between some of it’s characters. I think I did a decent job here. I didn’t want to dwell on the Neal angst as much because I feel like they both really did say their goodbyes during the first episode of the season.
> 
> I’d like to thank everyone for their lovely comments and messages. That really meant a lot.
> 
> If you have any thoughts, comments, questions or concerns let me know! And if you enjoyed this please check out my other stuff on tumblr, ff.net or AO3!


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